Naturalism Reflected in Social Conflicts in Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles

Abstract

Naturalism holds that all aspects of human life are shaped by the forces of nature. This study examines the theme of naturalism in Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles by analysing the social conflicts experienced by its female protagonist, Tess Durbeyfield. In the novel, Tess is portrayed as a poor young woman who constantly struggles against the will of others imposed upon her, which leads her into various social conflicts with people around her. Despite her efforts to resist and, instead, pursue her own desire, she repeatedly fails, making her struggles in vain. Eventually, she submits to the pressure of her social environment – a naturalistic force beyond her control that dictates the course of her life and seals her fate. Her repeated failures finally lead her to her tragic ending, which is her death, highlighting the naturalist theme of the novel that no matter how hard one tries, one will not be able to fight against one’s social environment.